Cigarette filter protector



Dec. 27-, 1966 c. ACKERMAN 3,294,095

CIGARETTE FILTER PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 26. 1965 FILTER CIGARETTE PROPERv #18 INVENTOR. Carl L. Ackerman nited States Patent 3,294,095 CIGARETTEFILTER PROTECTOR Carl L. Ackerman, 3396 Blue Rock Road, I

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Filed Sept. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 311,893 1 Claim.(Ci. 131-10.7)

The present invention relates to improvements in cigarette construction.

The cigarette manufacturing industry has been char acterized in recentyears by the growing popularity of filter cigarettes and by the emphasisdirected to cooler smokes.

Filter cigarettes are subject to a major disadvantage in that aninattentive smoker, or one lighting up a filter cigarette while underpoor illumination, often lights up the filter end of the cigarette, withresultant discomfort and sometimes embarrassment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette filterprotector which positively prevents burning of the filter end of thecigarette.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette filterconstruction so formed and arranged that smoke drawn from a cigarette issubstantially cooler.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cigarette filterprotector of such material and formation that it is readily adaptable tomanufacture in large quantity and incorporation in cigarette structures,and compatible with conventional cigarette packaging practices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette constructioninvolving filter structures of the character discussed above.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is madeto the following description of the appended drawings in which areillustrated a preferred and an alternate embodiment of cigarette filterprotector in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a cigarette construction includinga preferred form of cigarette filter protector in accordance with theinvention, shown as incorporated in a cigarette structure;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, of the FIG. 1 cigarettefilter protector per se;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a modified form of filter protector.

FIG. 5 is an axial sectional view of a cigarette construction includingthe said modified form of cigarette filter protector in accordance withthe invention, again shown as incorporated in a cigarette structure.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, my novel cigarette filter protectoris formed as a tubular member or cylindrical sleeve 10. The main portion11 has a wall thickness of approximately 0.008" to 0.014" and the innerdiameter of portion 11 is such that the filter protector tightly andconcentrically fits the filter 12 of the cigarette proper 13-. Thefilter protector 10 is preferably formed with a transverse cooling hole14 of approximately 0.035" in diameter, the center of this hole beinglocated at & from the front edge of the filter protector. At the rear,the filter is formed with an integral cap portion 15. The end of the capis formed with approximately twenty-one ports 16, satisfactorilyarranged for best smoke Withdrawal and each of approximately 0.03"diameter. The wall of the cap is thickened to provide a reduced innerdiameter approximately smaller than the inner diameter of the wallportion 11, thereby to provide an annular shoulder 17 against which thefilter'end of the cigarette abuts. The rear wall of the cap isapproximately 0.015" to 0.025" in thickness. The distance from the "icefront of that rear wall to the shoulder 17 is approximately The over-alllength of the filter is approximately 1% The specific dimensions andparameters herein mentioned are presented solely for purposes ofillustration and not of limitation, and it is intended that theinvention cover such modifications and variations as fall within thescope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In accordance with the invention, the cigarette filter protector isformed of a material which is compatible with enjoyable smoking andincombustible under cigarette-lighting conditions. I prefer the use of athermosetting plastic material such as phenol or urea formaldehyde.

Since the filter protector is made of a thermoset resin, which isnon-flammable material, and since the filter is spaced approximatelyfrom the cap portion 15 of the protector, the filter is protected underthe ordinary conditions of lighting a cigarette, and the sometimesembarrassing mistake of attempting to light the wrong end is easilyrectified Without throwing the cigarette away.

Additionally, the construction of the filter protector is such that theprobability of placement of the open end 18 of the cigarette in themouth is decreased in that the filter protector end is easilydistinguished from the open end of the cigarette, even under conditionsof no visibility.

Measurements of various filter cigarettes presently on the marketindicate a variation in filter length between and 7 approximately, and avariation in overall cigarette length between 3 A, to 3 Attention is nowdirected to the fact that the cigarette protector extends beyond thecooling hole by a distance between and The cigarette paper is piercedthrough at the point where its Wall registers with the cooling hole,permitting outside air to mix with and to cool the smoke.

The filter protector in accordance with the invention can be applied tothe filter cigarette in numerous ways, as by pressing it in place. As afurther example, the filter protector can be coated onto a filtercigarette.

In the description of the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4and 5, identical reference numerals are utilized to designate elementsidentical to those referred to in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and like referencesprimed are utilized to identify modified elements or features. In theembodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the cap portion of the filter protector 10'is tapered toward the consumer end as shown at 15 and a single opening16' is substituted for the plurality of openings 16 illustrated in FIG.2.

The filter protector extends beyond the filter proper and snugly engagesa part of the cigarette proper. The paper of the cigarette proper ispierced in continuity with hole 14, in each embodiment. It is reiteratedthat the piercing of the paper of the cigarette at the zone in registrywith hole 14 permits outside air to mix with and to cool the smoke.

The opening 16' has a long dimension of approximately .275" to .3" and ashort dimension of approximately .05" to .07". The inventioncontemplates that the novel cigarette construction be marketed as such,that is, a construction consisting of the cigarette proper, the filter,and the filter protector.

While there have been shown those at present considered to be thepreferred embodiments of a filter protector in accordance with theinvention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications and changes may be made therein Without departingfrom the true scope of the invention as defined in the claim appendedhereto.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a cigarette construction the combination of a cigarette propercomprising a tobacco cylinder and a filter having a conventionalfilter'plug adjacent the tobacco cylinder and a built-in non-combustibleprotector for discouraging the user from igniting the filter end,comprising: a one-piece thermosetting plastic thimble closelyconcentrically fitting said filter, said thimble having a cap end formedto provide a plurality of ports for smoking and to extend beyond theconsumer end of the filter to distinguish the touch of the filter end ofthe construction from the end normally lighted, said thimble having itsother end extending toward the normally ignited end of the cigarette toprovide a margin of protector-tobacco cylinder overlap, said margin andthe tobacco cylinder being formed with a cool air-admitting portextending 1 transversely through said margin and partially through saidtobacco cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,581,451 10/1925Knapp 131-4 2,070,831 2/ 1937 Grundon 131-175 2,693,193 1 1/1954Pelletier 131-15 2,695,617 11/1954 Warnberg 131--187 2,980,116 4/1961Schur 13115 3,058,476 10/1962 Atkins 131-187 3,118,451 1/1964 Rodrigue131-11 SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

MELVIN D. REIN, Examiner.

